Down to a one-game series; Omaha on the line

5 hits and 3 runs on Friday night. 14 hits and 14 runs on Saturday. No mystery what it takes if you want to win ball games against formidable opponents in the Super Regionals.

Painted into a corner after a lifeless performance in game one, the Miami Hurricanes came out swinging (literally) in game two and got back to what they do best; stroking the long ball.

Four home runs last night – all when runs were absolutely necessary – propelled top-ranked Miami to a 14-10 win over Arizona.

Early on, it looked like an extension of Friday night, with the Wildcats jumping on the Canes with a four-run first inning. To say Eric Erickson got off to a shaky start is an understatement. The junior lefty gave up 4 hits and 4 runs after facing 7 batters. 

Erickson settled down over the next two innings, allowing no hits and no runs and the Canes began chipping away at the stone in the top of the third when Jemile Weeks worked the count, got a walk and stole second. 

With a running in scoring position, Miami finally got that much needed confidence booster when Mark Sobolewski doubled down the left field line and brought home Weeks. A larger feat in reality than it was on paper, after going of 1 of 12 with runners in scoring position on Friday and stranding nine on base.

Another three up, three down inning courtesy of Erickson in the bottom of the third and the Miami offense obviously fed off it, batting around the order and putting up a 5 hit, 6 run inning, finally getting the juices flowing. The Canes still left three stranded, but tough to complain when six runs have already been scored.

The highlight proved to be a Yonder Alonso three-run shot, with a 3-2 count. Alonso didn’t get a lucky break Friday night, when the wind blew in and kept a game-winning, three-run shot from getting out in the bottom of the ninth.

The baseball gods seemed to take an ounce of pity on the first baseman last night, when his shot to left field bounced off the top of the fence and made it out by the skin of its teeth.

Arizona responded with three of their own in the fourth, tying it up 7-7.

After a lifeless fifth inning for both squads, Miami again exploded in the sixth, starting with a Sobolewski solo shot on the innings first pitch. Dennis Raben and Dave DiNatale both walked and on the first pitch, Yasmani Grandal homered to right center, giving Miami the 11-7 edge.

From there, it was mostly Canes. The Cats chipped away at the stone, remaining feisty and getting three more, getting it as close as 12-10 entering the top of the ninth – but Miami got two spirit-breaking insurance runs in the top of the ninth. Alonso walked, stole second and found third when Sobolewski moved him over. Ryan Jackson – still looking to break out of his slump – reached on an error, driving Alonso home. The 1-for-6 Jackson was the final run when walked in with the bases loaded.

Carlos Gutierrez again closed out the ninth, allowing no hits and one base on balls. He came him after Kyle Bellamy closed out the eight, allowing 1 hit and striking out 2. David Gutierrez threw four innings in relief of Erickson, with a 4-hit, 3-run outing and striking out three.

Sunday’s winner-take-all affair starts at 7:00pm EDT, with Omaha on the line and the pressure squarely back on the once-in-control Wildcats. The bats have come alive for the Canes, the momentum has shifted and the better team has homefield advantage.

In the end, this is a three game series. Four of this weekend’s eight series started on Friday night and three of those have series-deciding Sunday games. Miami is in good company as highly-seeded Florida State and Georgia are also battling it out with their series locked up, 1-1 against lesser competition.

Enrique Garcia will take the mound for The U tonight and here’s hoping for some vintage Miami. Pounce on the Cats early, score some runs, rattle their pitchers, get hot, make a statement and prove who’s the better team.

The Canes looked dead in the water Friday night, but after nine innings on Saturday it’s now a one-game series with a trip to Omaha on the line.

If that doesn’t get the juices flowing, nothing will. Throw the records out the window, play some ball and attain that season-long goal with a win tonight.

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